Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn. 00:00:01.40\00:00:02.77 Please join us today on "The Grace Pipeline" 00:00:02.80\00:00:05.00 where we will consider how the Bible explains 00:00:05.03\00:00:08.16 that the love of God is the compelling force 00:00:08.19\00:00:10.99 behind the grace of God. 00:00:11.02\00:00:12.91 Welcome to "The Grace Pipeline." 00:00:38.62\00:00:40.75 This series will be a journey through scripture 00:00:40.78\00:00:43.64 to help broaden our understanding 00:00:43.67\00:00:45.51 of God's wonderful gospel of grace. 00:00:45.54\00:00:49.19 The series will follow along with the Bible study 00:00:49.22\00:00:52.51 that I was also privileged to write 00:00:52.54\00:00:54.89 and it's in a book entitled "The Grace Pipeline." 00:00:54.92\00:00:58.52 Because the words of scripture are so much weightier 00:00:58.55\00:01:02.14 than any other words that could be shared, 00:01:02.17\00:01:04.65 we will provide plenty of scripture to let the Bible 00:01:04.68\00:01:08.36 become the foundation of our understanding. 00:01:08.39\00:01:11.23 We hope you will tune in each time 00:01:11.26\00:01:13.63 as we progress through topics like justification, 00:01:13.66\00:01:17.29 righteousness by faith, God's work of sanctification 00:01:17.32\00:01:21.45 and how we can develop victorious faith, 00:01:21.48\00:01:24.87 but most of all, how we must guard 00:01:24.90\00:01:27.37 the relationship of grace in which we stand. 00:01:27.40\00:01:30.60 Today, we will lay a foundation for this series 00:01:30.63\00:01:33.99 by examining the very root cause of grace 00:01:34.02\00:01:37.52 as we try to increase our comprehension 00:01:37.55\00:01:40.63 of God's amazing channel of blessings to us. 00:01:40.66\00:01:44.18 Today's program content will follow 00:01:44.21\00:01:46.34 chapter 1 of the series companion book. 00:01:46.37\00:01:50.59 You might frequent a favorite place of worship 00:01:50.62\00:01:53.90 or perhaps even though you believe in God, 00:01:53.93\00:01:56.22 you have never entered a church. 00:01:56.25\00:01:58.60 Either way, there is something you possibly share in common 00:01:58.63\00:02:02.42 with many who believe in God's existence, 00:02:02.45\00:02:05.64 and that is confusion concerning God's character. 00:02:05.67\00:02:09.42 Popular misconceptions are bound and that is understandable. 00:02:09.45\00:02:13.58 If you think about it, 00:02:13.61\00:02:14.98 how can the self-centered nature of mankind 00:02:15.01\00:02:18.88 hindered by our limited human understanding 00:02:18.91\00:02:22.22 and reasoning in our limited experience? 00:02:22.25\00:02:25.38 How can we comprehend the glorious character of God? 00:02:25.41\00:02:30.02 It requires serious study and a personal experience 00:02:30.05\00:02:34.31 with our loving Heavenly Father 00:02:34.34\00:02:36.24 to even get a glimpse of His goodness. 00:02:36.27\00:02:39.01 The Bible tells us in 1 John 4:16 that God is love. 00:02:39.04\00:02:45.55 Not just loving, His very nature is love. 00:02:45.58\00:02:49.38 He is the author and source of unconditional love. 00:02:49.41\00:02:53.88 We humans have difficulty even defining it. 00:02:53.91\00:02:57.93 And as I tried to think of an illustration, 00:02:57.96\00:03:00.30 I could think of only one and perfect example. 00:03:00.33\00:03:03.90 Perhaps the closest condition of the natural human heart 00:03:03.93\00:03:08.24 which captures a portion of God's nature of love 00:03:08.27\00:03:11.62 is the free flowing feelings 00:03:11.65\00:03:13.70 of a devoted parent to their child. 00:03:13.73\00:03:16.84 Such parents love their children 00:03:16.87\00:03:19.00 whether their behavior is good or bad. 00:03:19.03\00:03:21.30 And these parents are inclined to make sacrifices 00:03:21.33\00:03:24.79 for their children's security and happiness. 00:03:24.82\00:03:27.66 But tragically, not all parents model this behavior 00:03:27.69\00:03:31.42 which makes even this limited example 00:03:31.45\00:03:34.04 difficult for many to absorb. 00:03:34.07\00:03:37.17 Do we really understand that the very essence 00:03:37.20\00:03:40.96 of God's nature is self-sacrificing love? 00:03:40.99\00:03:46.35 Paul writes in Romans 5:8 00:03:46.38\00:03:49.26 that God demonstrates His own love toward us 00:03:49.29\00:03:53.29 in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 00:03:53.32\00:03:57.52 When this occurred, the grace of God 00:03:57.55\00:04:00.56 that brings salvation appeared in the flesh to all men. 00:04:00.59\00:04:04.72 What is your picture of God? 00:04:04.75\00:04:07.44 Do you realize what a merciful God He is? 00:04:07.47\00:04:11.19 Let's look at Micah 7:18-19, 00:04:11.22\00:04:16.37 "Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity 00:04:16.40\00:04:20.37 and passing over the transgression 00:04:20.40\00:04:23.06 of the remnant of His heritage? 00:04:23.09\00:04:25.27 He does not retain His anger forever, 00:04:25.30\00:04:28.66 because He delights in mercy. 00:04:28.69\00:04:32.22 He will again have compassion on us 00:04:32.25\00:04:35.23 and will subdue our iniquities. 00:04:35.26\00:04:37.56 You will cast all of our sins into the depths of the sea." 00:04:37.59\00:04:43.46 God delights in mercy and longs to be gracious to you and me 00:04:43.49\00:04:50.76 but deep within our hearts 00:04:50.79\00:04:52.90 we feel unworthy of such love from our creator, don't we? 00:04:52.93\00:04:56.58 Frankly it sounds too good to be true. 00:04:56.61\00:04:59.14 So many of us resist this revelation. 00:04:59.17\00:05:02.40 We don't recognize the love of God 00:05:02.43\00:05:05.50 is the compelling force behind the grace of God. 00:05:05.53\00:05:09.72 And to resist His infinite love is to resist His abundant grace. 00:05:09.75\00:05:16.39 Above all else, God wants to reveal 00:05:16.42\00:05:19.55 His true character to His created beings 00:05:19.58\00:05:23.26 so that we may know Him 00:05:23.29\00:05:25.25 and accept all that He desires to bestow upon us. 00:05:25.28\00:05:29.58 I love the way the Old Testament prophet Isaiah 00:05:29.61\00:05:32.61 assures the people of God, of His loving care 00:05:32.64\00:05:36.10 in Isaiah 30:18-19, let's read that. 00:05:36.13\00:05:40.31 And it says, "Therefore the Lord will wait, 00:05:40.34\00:05:43.70 that He may be gracious to you. 00:05:43.73\00:05:45.73 And therefore He will be exalted, 00:05:45.76\00:05:47.38 that He may have mercy on you. 00:05:47.41\00:05:49.17 For the Lord is a God of justice. 00:05:49.20\00:05:51.84 Blessed are all those who wait for Him. 00:05:51.87\00:05:54.45 You shall weep no more. 00:05:54.48\00:05:56.11 He will be very gracious to you atthe sound of your cry. 00:05:56.14\00:06:00.55 When He hears it, He will answer you." 00:06:00.58\00:06:05.99 A just and tender hearted God 00:06:06.02\00:06:09.40 is earnestly seeking opportunities 00:06:09.43\00:06:12.03 to multiply His mercies to you. 00:06:12.06\00:06:14.87 His heart's desire is to demonstrate 00:06:14.90\00:06:17.09 His loving kindness, to lavish His love, 00:06:17.12\00:06:20.51 His joy, and His peace on you. 00:06:20.54\00:06:23.29 He calls to you and with eager expectation He waits, 00:06:23.32\00:06:27.37 willing to answer your cry for help 00:06:27.40\00:06:29.85 by exchanging His power for your weakness. 00:06:29.88\00:06:32.88 In fact, in 2 Corinthians 12:9, Christ said, 00:06:32.91\00:06:36.42 "My grace is sufficient for you, 00:06:36.45\00:06:38.67 for my power is made perfect in weakness." 00:06:38.70\00:06:42.56 Do you realize that the almighty stands ready 00:06:42.59\00:06:45.72 to give you victory over sin and its destructive consequences 00:06:45.75\00:06:50.08 and to grant to you life abundantly? 00:06:50.11\00:06:53.24 This, my friend, is the good news. 00:06:53.27\00:06:56.33 It is the gospel of God's grace. 00:06:56.36\00:06:59.60 Grace, there's no other New Testament word 00:06:59.63\00:07:02.52 that is more meaningful and none other 00:07:02.55\00:07:05.32 is as greatly under valued or as grossly distorted 00:07:05.35\00:07:09.50 by man's feeble attempts to define it. 00:07:09.53\00:07:12.39 Far too many Christians live with an understanding of grace 00:07:12.42\00:07:16.83 that is fundamentally flawed leaving the immeasurable riches 00:07:16.86\00:07:21.66 and the power of divine grace untold. 00:07:21.69\00:07:25.21 Some suffering consciences 00:07:25.24\00:07:28.01 have yet to be soothed by its great promise. 00:07:28.04\00:07:32.06 Let me ask you, has yours? 00:07:32.09\00:07:35.33 And in other cases, there are people 00:07:35.36\00:07:37.69 who have twisted the meaning of grace 00:07:37.72\00:07:40.42 to their own destruction, 00:07:40.45\00:07:42.19 turning God's grace into an excuse 00:07:42.22\00:07:45.17 for the absence of restraint. 00:07:45.20\00:07:47.42 This reminds me of the time Jesus confronted the Sadducees 00:07:47.45\00:07:51.05 who rejected the truth of resurrection. 00:07:51.08\00:07:53.76 He refuted their argument by saying in Matthew 22:29, 00:07:53.79\00:07:58.41 "You are in error because you do not know 00:07:58.44\00:08:01.52 the scriptures or the power of God." 00:08:01.55\00:08:04.44 You know what? 00:08:04.47\00:08:05.84 I would also extend this same rebuttal to believers today 00:08:05.87\00:08:09.05 who abuse His truth of grace. 00:08:09.08\00:08:13.54 Well, it is accurate to say God's abundant grace 00:08:13.57\00:08:17.31 grants us liberty from pharisaical legalism. 00:08:17.34\00:08:21.04 It is the devil's distortion of truth 00:08:21.07\00:08:23.76 to suggest grace grants us license to sin 00:08:23.79\00:08:27.49 or that anyone who mentions obedience 00:08:27.52\00:08:30.30 is legalistic and unlearned in grace. 00:08:30.33\00:08:33.37 Sin turns our hearts away from God. 00:08:33.40\00:08:37.16 Grace draws us toward His embrace. 00:08:37.19\00:08:40.97 God's divine grace contains power to set us free from sin. 00:08:41.00\00:08:46.20 This revelation radically changed my Christian experience 00:08:46.23\00:08:50.68 and I'm excited to have this opportunity 00:08:50.71\00:08:53.63 to share the good news with you. 00:08:53.66\00:08:57.39 The master of grace can make 00:08:57.42\00:08:59.56 a dramatic difference in your life too 00:08:59.59\00:09:02.72 if you will just accept these truths and embrace them. 00:09:02.75\00:09:07.49 In Hosea 4:6 God says, 00:09:07.52\00:09:10.35 "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." 00:09:10.38\00:09:14.64 The same holds true today. 00:09:14.67\00:09:16.70 For anyone who doesn't understand grace, 00:09:16.73\00:09:20.50 they're breaking the heart of our loving Father. 00:09:20.53\00:09:23.44 I am convinced that Christians walk 00:09:23.47\00:09:25.84 in a lesser degree of power than is available to us 00:09:25.87\00:09:29.90 because we don't comprehend the full value of words 00:09:29.93\00:09:33.53 that encase great biblical concepts, 00:09:33.56\00:09:36.75 words like grace, love, faith, justification, sanctification, 00:09:36.78\00:09:42.87 and others which represent systematic and practical truths. 00:09:42.90\00:09:48.74 If we cannot comprehend the value of the word, 00:09:48.77\00:09:53.29 we cannot really define it. 00:09:53.32\00:09:55.52 And you know what we do? 00:09:55.55\00:09:56.92 We overlook and under appreciate undefined words. 00:09:56.95\00:10:01.59 Many resources are available to help today's Bible students 00:10:01.62\00:10:05.60 interpret meanings of the scripture 00:10:05.63\00:10:08.69 in original Bible languages. 00:10:08.72\00:10:11.47 Still the definitions provided are not always sufficient 00:10:11.50\00:10:15.43 because Bible writers sometimes enhance 00:10:15.46\00:10:18.75 the value of a word with spiritual meaning. 00:10:18.78\00:10:21.42 So to determine the true significance 00:10:21.45\00:10:24.00 of an original Bible word or phrase, 00:10:24.03\00:10:26.77 we must look at its every use within scripture 00:10:26.80\00:10:31.03 examining pages in passages 00:10:31.06\00:10:34.28 that come before and after for complete understanding 00:10:34.31\00:10:38.10 because scriptural context 00:10:38.13\00:10:40.78 is a certain compass that points us 00:10:40.81\00:10:43.41 to the writer's intent and true meaning. 00:10:43.44\00:10:46.47 And in God's language of love, 00:10:46.50\00:10:48.85 there is no weightier or more worthy word than grace. 00:10:48.88\00:10:53.48 Everything in God's economy, His pardon, His provision, 00:10:53.51\00:10:58.85 His privileges, His protection, His power, and His peace 00:10:58.88\00:11:03.74 comes to us by the pleasure of His grace. 00:11:03.77\00:11:07.35 Who better to help us understand this than the apostle Paul, 00:11:07.38\00:11:10.63 the self proclaimed chief of sinners 00:11:10.66\00:11:13.08 who was rescued and renewed 00:11:13.11\00:11:15.21 after encountering the master of grace? 00:11:15.24\00:11:18.67 Our beloved brother became a believer, 00:11:18.70\00:11:21.60 considered his own indebtedness to life altering grace 00:11:21.63\00:11:25.24 and accepted Christ's commission 00:11:25.27\00:11:27.56 to bear witness to the gospel, the good news of grace. 00:11:27.59\00:11:33.17 Let's look at the emphasis that Paul puts on the value 00:11:33.20\00:11:36.80 of God's grace in his own life 00:11:36.83\00:11:39.46 as he expressed in 1 Corinthians 15:10 saying there, 00:11:39.49\00:11:45.23 "I am what I am by the grace of God. 00:11:45.26\00:11:49.00 And His grace toward me was not in vain. 00:11:49.03\00:11:52.78 But I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, 00:11:52.81\00:11:57.80 but the grace of God which was with me." 00:11:57.83\00:12:02.87 All that Paul had become, everything that he achieved, 00:12:02.90\00:12:08.01 he attributed to the power of God's life-changing grace. 00:12:08.04\00:12:13.10 Paul made it the goal of his life to testify 00:12:13.13\00:12:16.52 to the gloriously good news of the grace of God. 00:12:16.55\00:12:20.55 Listen to what he says in Acts 20:24, 00:12:20.58\00:12:25.60 "But none of these things move me, 00:12:25.63\00:12:28.04 nor do I count my life dear to myself, 00:12:28.07\00:12:31.13 so that I may finish my race with joy, 00:12:31.16\00:12:34.31 and the ministry which I received 00:12:34.34\00:12:37.03 from the Lord Jesus, 00:12:37.06\00:12:38.62 to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." 00:12:38.65\00:12:44.34 Paul strategically in his epistles, 00:12:44.37\00:12:47.14 he uses the word grace at least 100 times 00:12:47.17\00:12:50.37 accounting for more than half of the some 170 times 00:12:50.40\00:12:54.60 the New Testament employs this term. 00:12:54.63\00:12:57.15 And from a heart that throbbed with passion 00:12:57.18\00:13:00.42 borne of his experience, 00:13:00.45\00:13:02.33 Paul supplies a special significance to this word. 00:13:02.36\00:13:06.51 It's a significance not found elsewhere 00:13:06.54\00:13:09.02 in classical Greek literature. 00:13:09.05\00:13:11.72 Together, you and I will take a closer look 00:13:11.75\00:13:14.53 at this respected apostle's revelation on this matter 00:13:14.56\00:13:18.10 allowing it to unfold naturally in upcoming programs 00:13:18.13\00:13:22.60 like a fragrant rose bud coming into full bloom. 00:13:22.63\00:13:26.87 Although grace was not a common place greeting of the day, 00:13:26.90\00:13:30.49 Paul assigned such noteworthy value to this word. 00:13:30.52\00:13:33.52 It became his customary blessing 00:13:33.55\00:13:35.65 at the opening and closing of his writings. 00:13:35.68\00:13:38.46 He always began and ended his letters by pronouncing 00:13:38.49\00:13:42.48 a divine blessing of grace on the readers. 00:13:42.51\00:13:45.63 And in like matters so did the apostles Peter and John. 00:13:45.66\00:13:49.32 They used grace as a salutation. 00:13:49.35\00:13:51.62 And it is the final benediction, 00:13:51.65\00:13:53.84 that's the final prayer of blessing 00:13:53.87\00:13:56.51 found in the very last scripture of the Bible. 00:13:56.54\00:14:00.10 To the apostles, the affirmation of grace over the believers 00:14:00.13\00:14:05.57 was a sufficient summary of all of God's blessings. 00:14:05.60\00:14:10.37 The expression evolved 00:14:10.40\00:14:12.51 as it were into the New Testament version 00:14:12.54\00:14:15.40 of the blessing found in the Old Testament 00:14:15.43\00:14:18.42 in Numbers 6:24-26 that says, 00:14:18.45\00:14:23.26 "The Lord bless you and keep you. 00:14:23.29\00:14:25.90 The Lord make His face shine upon you, 00:14:25.93\00:14:28.70 and be gracious to you. 00:14:28.73\00:14:30.46 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace." 00:14:30.49\00:14:37.09 Grace, grace fits into the category of words 00:14:37.12\00:14:41.73 that the Bible authors enhanced with spiritual meaning. 00:14:41.76\00:14:46.37 In its classical Greek definition, 00:14:46.40\00:14:49.28 grace was a very elastic word. 00:14:49.31\00:14:52.47 It covered multiple but related concepts. 00:14:52.50\00:14:56.18 But more than any other writer, 00:14:56.21\00:14:58.35 Paul further stretched its meaning 00:14:58.38\00:15:00.73 and shaped the unique New Testament 00:15:00.76\00:15:03.92 rendering of divine grace as representing 00:15:03.95\00:15:07.37 the unity of God's enormous endowments to humanity. 00:15:07.40\00:15:12.50 Divine grace is a solid foundation 00:15:12.53\00:15:15.86 upon which we build our hope, you and me. 00:15:15.89\00:15:19.11 And it is essential that we comprehend 00:15:19.14\00:15:22.72 this marvelous concept for our salvation 00:15:22.75\00:15:25.88 and everything good depends upon it. 00:15:25.91\00:15:29.08 Our most desperate need is to recognize 00:15:29.11\00:15:32.82 and receive the manifold grace of God. 00:15:32.85\00:15:36.53 And as we recognize His gifts of grace, 00:15:36.56\00:15:40.28 we will begin to understand the effects of grace. 00:15:40.31\00:15:45.20 God is wholeheartedly engaged in His covenant of grace 00:15:45.23\00:15:49.05 by which He bestows all of His blessings and benefits upon us. 00:15:49.08\00:15:53.83 We can't afford to allow a misunderstanding 00:15:53.86\00:15:56.45 to be a barrier between us and our benevolent Creator. 00:15:56.48\00:16:01.03 If we can but grasp the scope of grace, 00:16:01.06\00:16:05.29 the height, the depth, the width, and the length of it, 00:16:05.32\00:16:08.66 we will more fully recognize His perfect plan 00:16:08.69\00:16:12.72 is for us to be completely dependant upon Him. 00:16:12.75\00:16:17.92 And understanding His love and His plan to carry us 00:16:17.95\00:16:22.30 through our journey on earth will, I feel certain, 00:16:22.33\00:16:25.86 result in our spending more time in prayer 00:16:25.89\00:16:28.82 embracing the master of grace. 00:16:28.85\00:16:32.14 At least I know that has been my personal experience. 00:16:32.17\00:16:37.57 My most significant time of personal spiritual growth 00:16:37.60\00:16:41.64 was the years of 1999-2004. 00:16:41.67\00:16:45.47 God called me to full-time ministry 00:16:45.50\00:16:47.77 and simultaneously to sit at His feet to learn from Him. 00:16:47.80\00:16:52.97 During that time of intense study, 00:16:53.00\00:16:55.79 I had to let go off some difficult errors. 00:16:55.82\00:16:58.52 They were significant errors that I had learned from man. 00:16:58.55\00:17:02.57 And let me tell you it's not always easy 00:17:02.60\00:17:05.48 to let go off the errors that you believe. 00:17:05.51\00:17:09.44 But as I looked to scripture only, 00:17:09.47\00:17:12.72 God taught me stunning truths. 00:17:12.75\00:17:15.47 Many of which took root in a study on the sanctuary 00:17:15.50\00:17:19.36 that I was shocked to learn that the tabernacle 00:17:19.39\00:17:22.62 and the wilderness was the sanctuary of grace. 00:17:22.65\00:17:27.15 His method of salvation 00:17:27.18\00:17:28.75 has always been by the wonders of His grace. 00:17:28.78\00:17:33.55 God does not change. 00:17:33.58\00:17:35.44 He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 00:17:35.47\00:17:39.63 But wait I'm getting ahead of myself here. 00:17:39.66\00:17:41.93 The foundation we want to lay in this opening program 00:17:41.96\00:17:46.05 even before we work out a definition of grace 00:17:46.08\00:17:49.37 is how God's system of grace works. 00:17:49.40\00:17:53.62 Let me explain what I mean by system. 00:17:53.65\00:17:58.09 Don't you just marvel at the order 00:17:58.12\00:18:00.67 and the rhythm of creation 00:18:00.70\00:18:02.59 designed by the master craftsman? 00:18:02.62\00:18:05.30 God is the architect and engineer 00:18:05.33\00:18:07.55 of astounding life-sustaining systems. 00:18:07.58\00:18:11.25 Certainly as it is in the physical world, 00:18:11.28\00:18:14.33 it is likewise in the spiritual world. 00:18:14.36\00:18:17.03 God ordained a systematic order to our spiritual world 00:18:17.06\00:18:21.64 and our spiritual development as well. 00:18:21.67\00:18:24.46 He is the God of order not confusion. 00:18:24.49\00:18:27.43 And within scripture are revealed 00:18:27.46\00:18:30.46 His systems of interwoven spiritual principles, 00:18:30.49\00:18:35.17 their relation to each other 00:18:35.20\00:18:36.57 and their cause and their effect. 00:18:36.60\00:18:38.66 God has taught me 00:18:38.69\00:18:40.22 to search for His systems, to connect the dots. 00:18:40.25\00:18:44.41 Do you remember when we were children 00:18:44.44\00:18:47.56 they were drawing lines that they had little numbers 00:18:47.59\00:18:52.01 and we would go from one number dot to the next, 00:18:52.04\00:18:54.96 drawing a line to reveal a picture 00:18:54.99\00:18:57.39 that could not be seen before? 00:18:57.42\00:18:59.41 That's kind of what it's like when we're studying the Bible. 00:18:59.44\00:19:02.49 And as I began grasping the process of divine grace, 00:19:02.52\00:19:07.27 I ask the Lord for an illustration 00:19:07.30\00:19:10.23 to help make it practical 00:19:10.26\00:19:12.21 and this is how God impressed me, it operates. 00:19:12.24\00:19:16.58 God's heart wells with love for us. 00:19:16.61\00:19:20.95 He loves us with an everlasting love 00:19:20.98\00:19:24.13 and He draws us to himself with His loving kindness. 00:19:24.16\00:19:28.05 Jeremiah 31:3 says, "The Lord has appeared of old to me, 00:19:28.08\00:19:33.17 saying, 'Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. 00:19:33.20\00:19:36.97 Therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you.'" 00:19:37.00\00:19:41.35 And from that well of love flows all of God's blessings. 00:19:41.38\00:19:46.99 So grace is the pipeline 00:19:47.02\00:19:50.13 from which all blessings flow from heaven to earth. 00:19:50.16\00:19:54.75 Everything, absolutely every good thing comes to us 00:19:54.78\00:19:59.57 through His great pipeline of grace. 00:19:59.60\00:20:03.03 God is the giver of every good and perfect gift 00:20:03.06\00:20:06.60 and He makes them available to all mankind. 00:20:06.63\00:20:10.83 James 1:17 tells us 00:20:10.86\00:20:12.96 that "Every good and perfect gift is from above, 00:20:12.99\00:20:16.64 and comes down from the Father of lights, 00:20:16.67\00:20:19.41 with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." 00:20:19.44\00:20:23.84 And Titus 2:11 says, "For the grace of God 00:20:23.87\00:20:28.35 that brings salvation has appeared to all men." 00:20:28.38\00:20:32.54 Now on this grace pipeline, faith is the faucet. 00:20:32.57\00:20:37.83 It is how we tap into God's grace pipeline 00:20:37.86\00:20:41.72 and our faith regulates 00:20:41.75\00:20:44.27 the release of blessings from His great reservoir. 00:20:44.30\00:20:48.74 Through Christ we have access by faith 00:20:48.77\00:20:52.50 into this marvelous grace of God. 00:20:52.53\00:20:55.56 That's what Paul says in Romans 5:1-2. 00:20:55.59\00:20:59.73 He says, "Therefore having been justified by faith, 00:20:59.76\00:21:04.42 we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 00:21:04.45\00:21:09.04 through whom, through Christ also we have access 00:21:09.07\00:21:14.04 by faith into this grace in which we stand, 00:21:14.07\00:21:17.28 and rejoice in the glory of God." 00:21:17.31\00:21:21.60 Now here's the pipeline, we tap in by faith 00:21:21.63\00:21:25.87 and prayer is the handle that opens the faith faucet. 00:21:25.90\00:21:31.71 In Mark 11:24, James says, 00:21:31.74\00:21:35.59 "Therefore I say to you, 00:21:35.62\00:21:37.84 whatever things you ask when you pray, 00:21:37.87\00:21:40.99 believe that you receive them, and you will have them." 00:21:41.02\00:21:46.02 That is the foundation for the-- 00:21:46.05\00:21:48.61 our trust is the foundation for the prayer of faith. 00:21:48.64\00:21:52.34 And Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, 00:21:52.37\00:21:55.50 "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, 00:21:55.53\00:21:58.67 and lean not on your own understanding. 00:21:58.70\00:22:01.82 In all your ways acknowledge Him, 00:22:01.85\00:22:05.33 and He shall direct your path." 00:22:05.36\00:22:08.50 So if trust is the foundation for the prayer of faith, 00:22:08.53\00:22:12.93 relationship is the foundation for trust. 00:22:12.96\00:22:16.51 The Apostle John recognized the enormity 00:22:16.54\00:22:20.01 of being a child of God and he said in 1 John 3:1, 00:22:20.04\00:22:24.98 "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, 00:22:25.01\00:22:30.37 that we should be called the children of God." 00:22:30.40\00:22:35.26 And finally, love is the foundation for relationship. 00:22:35.29\00:22:40.77 Jesus tells us in Mark 12:30, 00:22:40.80\00:22:44.87 "You shall love the Lord your God 00:22:44.90\00:22:47.19 with all of your heart, with all of your soul, 00:22:47.22\00:22:50.64 with all of your mind, and with all of your strength." 00:22:50.67\00:22:56.91 Indeed the love of God 00:22:56.94\00:22:58.91 is the compelling force behind the grace of God 00:22:58.94\00:23:02.39 and the greater our understanding 00:23:02.42\00:23:04.58 of God's love for us the greater our love will be for Him. 00:23:04.61\00:23:09.10 We love Him because He first loved us. 00:23:09.13\00:23:12.37 The greater our love, the more intimate 00:23:12.40\00:23:15.12 our relationship will become with Him. 00:23:15.15\00:23:17.98 The more intimate our relationship, 00:23:18.01\00:23:20.70 the greater our trust. 00:23:20.73\00:23:22.51 And the greater our trust, 00:23:22.54\00:23:23.91 the more persistent our prayer of faith will become. 00:23:23.94\00:23:27.83 The more persistent our prayer of faith, 00:23:27.86\00:23:30.42 the greater our actions of faith develop. 00:23:30.45\00:23:34.15 And the greater our faith, the more we will tap 00:23:34.18\00:23:37.93 into the various areas of God's grace. 00:23:37.96\00:23:42.32 The more we access God's grace pipeline, 00:23:42.35\00:23:45.14 the greater blessings we receive. 00:23:45.17\00:23:48.21 God's streams of grace flow from His heavenly pipeline 00:23:48.24\00:23:53.69 without any shortage of supply turning our dry and dusty 00:23:53.72\00:23:58.47 life experiences into a spiritual oasis. 00:23:58.50\00:24:03.89 We hope that you have enjoyed this program today. 00:24:03.92\00:24:09.31 What we're doing is laying this foundation 00:24:09.34\00:24:12.43 and as we do my prayer is that God will increase 00:24:12.46\00:24:18.30 the measure of your expectations of grace. 00:24:18.33\00:24:22.42 Let me pray that with you right now 00:24:22.45\00:24:25.46 because what we want more than anything 00:24:25.49\00:24:27.99 is for God to do a work in our hearts. 00:24:28.02\00:24:31.07 Let's pray. Heavenly Father, 00:24:31.10\00:24:33.65 we come in the name of Jesus Christ 00:24:33.68\00:24:37.18 and Lord, we praise You. 00:24:37.21\00:24:39.72 We praise You for who You are. 00:24:39.75\00:24:42.90 Help us, oh, Lord, to understand Your nature. 00:24:42.93\00:24:48.10 Father, we glibly say God is love 00:24:48.13\00:24:52.29 but we don't comprehend it. 00:24:52.32\00:24:54.55 I pray in the name of Jesus Christ 00:24:54.58\00:24:57.62 You will open our eyes 00:24:57.65\00:25:01.19 to understand how much You love us, 00:25:01.22\00:25:03.90 to understand, Father, that Your love, 00:25:03.93\00:25:08.23 everything that comes from You 00:25:08.26\00:25:11.32 comes through this grace pipeline. 00:25:11.35\00:25:15.38 And I pray, Father, that around the world 00:25:15.41\00:25:19.45 as my brothers and sisters are tuned in, 00:25:19.48\00:25:22.70 people who may not even know You, Father, 00:25:22.73\00:25:25.49 that You will give them wisdom from above, 00:25:25.52\00:25:29.21 uncommon wisdom, to understand Your grace. 00:25:29.24\00:25:34.26 I pray that for myself as well 00:25:34.29\00:25:36.13 that You will broaden our understanding of grace. 00:25:36.16\00:25:40.15 And, Lord, not that it will just be an understanding 00:25:40.18\00:25:43.51 but that it will become our experience 00:25:43.54\00:25:47.29 to walk by faith in the grace in which we stand. 00:25:47.32\00:25:52.48 Lord, we ask these things in the name of Jesus 00:25:52.51\00:25:57.83 and we receive them in the name of Jesus. 00:25:57.86\00:26:00.41 Thanking You for the answer to the prayer of faith, amen. 00:26:00.44\00:26:05.84 Well, I am very pleased to tell you 00:26:05.87\00:26:09.95 that on our next program what we are going to do 00:26:09.98\00:26:13.56 is delve a little bit deeper into the definition of grace. 00:26:13.59\00:26:18.88 It's a little more than what you and I have thought in the past. 00:26:18.91\00:26:23.08 I'm sure that you are saying, "Well, I know 00:26:23.11\00:26:24.72 the definition of grace is God's unmerited favor." 00:26:24.75\00:26:29.17 But what does that mean? What does it mean? 00:26:29.20\00:26:32.89 We're going to learn next time. 00:26:32.92\00:26:34.51 And we hope that you will join us 00:26:34.54\00:26:37.75 so that we can learn together. 00:26:37.78\00:26:40.19 We want you to experience God's presence in your life 00:26:40.22\00:26:44.52 and the life-changing grace that will help you 00:26:44.55\00:26:48.24 grow as a Christian, grow as a mother, as a father, 00:26:48.27\00:26:53.58 as a brother or sister, to grow as a person 00:26:53.61\00:26:57.48 who is becoming more like Jesus every day. 00:26:57.51\00:27:01.93 And now our prayer is that you will grow in grace. 00:27:01.96\00:27:08.58 Grace is something that we should pursue. 00:27:08.61\00:27:13.12 We should become seekers of grace 00:27:13.15\00:27:16.49 to tap into God's grace pipeline by faith 00:27:16.52\00:27:20.77 so that we may overcome all that has been troubling us 00:27:20.80\00:27:26.34 and hanging on to us if you will like a viper, 00:27:26.37\00:27:30.17 something that has bitten us. 00:27:30.20\00:27:32.23 And God is going to show us how that can change. 00:27:32.26\00:27:35.79 So now we thank you so much for joining in. 00:27:35.82\00:27:38.96 We pray that next time please have a pen and paper handy 00:27:38.99\00:27:43.13 because we are going to give you 00:27:43.16\00:27:44.72 lots of scriptures to give you a foundation 00:27:44.75\00:27:48.52 and we want you to be able to jot down 00:27:48.55\00:27:50.71 these scripture references 00:27:50.74\00:27:52.29 so that you can have them for your continued study. 00:27:52.32\00:27:56.07 Grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord. 00:27:56.10\00:27:58.45 Goodbye. 00:27:58.48\00:27:59.85